Continuously movable surface with at least two belts

ABSTRACT

An apparatus with a continuously movable surface with at least two belts includes a platform with a front end and a rear end, and a first front pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to is mounted inside the platform adjacent to the front the front end of the platform. A second front pulley end of the platform. At least a first rear pulley is mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end of the platform. A second rear pulley may also be mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end of the platform. A first conveyor belt is looped around the first front pulley and first rear pulley and a second conveyor belt is looped around the second front pulley and either the second rear pulley or the first rear pulley. When the first and second conveyor belts rotate between respective pulleys, a continuously movable surface forms.

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/608,594 entitled “Treadmill with Dual Belts” and filed Mar. 8, 2012. The contents of this United States provisional patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as if set forth verbatim.

FIELD

The following description relates generally to exercise equipment, and in particular to electric treadmills.

BACKGROUND

Electric treadmills are one of the most popular types of modern exercise equipment and are now commonplace both in gyms and in home exercise rooms. Treadmills typically include a platform with a conveyor belt that moves from front to back. A user stands on the treadmill platform and must match the speed of the conveyor belt by walking or running forward. In simple treadmills the conveyor belt is unpowered and only moves if a user is walking or running on it. More commonly, however, the conveyor belt is powered by an electric motor connected to a user interface at the front of the treadmill. The user can control the speed of the conveyor belt, and therefore the speed the user is required to walk or run, by setting the motor speed on the user interface.

Moreover, the platforms of treadmills tend to provide a stiff moving surface which can create discomfort to the user during exercise routines. To address this, some designers have provided a coating to the moving surface, such as rubber or carpeting, in order to reduce the impact felt by a user. However, this coating technique has not provided the necessary relief to the user or been effective, because the moving surface even with rubber or carpeting coating has been known to maintain its stiffness. Accordingly, the coating insufficiently reduces the impact felt by the user during an exercise routine. Other approaches to reduce impact been to increase thickness of the conveyor belt in order to absorb more shock, but these approaches have not been entirely successful. This is because in traditional treadmills as belt thickness increases, a motor with greater drive power is required.

Thus, a common complaint is that traditional treadmills are confined by design constraints to keep motor costs down due to belt thickness thereby, limiting conveyor belt material selection. Another common complaint of traditional treadmills is that long distance running or walking puts chronic stress on the user's joints, in particular hips, knees and ankles. Cardiovascular exercises are recognized for the benefits they provide, but there is a need for a way to provide indoor cardiovascular exercises that are not harsh on joints.

SUMMARY

The following simplified summary is provided in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the claimed subject matter. This summary is not an extensive overview, and is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope of the claimed subject matter. Its purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

In one aspect of the disclosed embodiments, an apparatus with a continuously movable surface with at least two belts includes a platform with a front end and a rear end, and a first front pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the front end of the platform. At least a first rear pulley is mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end of the platform. A first conveyor belt is looped around the first front pulley and the first rear pulley. A second conveyor belt is looped around the second front pulley and the first rear pulley. The first conveyor belt is nested in the second conveyor belt. As such, when the first conveyor belt rotates between the first front pulley and the first rear pulley and when the second conveyor belt rotates between the second front pulley and first rear pulley, a continuously movable surface is formed so that when a user strikes the continuously movable surface, the second conveyor belt reduces the impact and absorbs shock felt by the user.

In another aspect of the disclosed embodiments, an apparatus with a continuously movable surface with at least two belts includes a platform with a front end and a rear end, and a first front pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the front end of the platform. At least a first rear pulley is mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end of the platform. At least a second rear pulley may also be mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end of the platform. A first conveyor belt is looped around the first front pulley and the first rear pulley. A second conveyor belt is looped around the second front pulley and the second rear pulley. The first conveyor belt is nested in the second conveyor belt. As such, when the first conveyor belt rotates between the first front pulley and the first rear pulley and when the second conveyor belt rotates between the second front pulley and second rear pulley, a continuously movable surface is formed so that when a user strikes the continuously movable surface, the second conveyor belt reduces the impact and absorbs shock felt by the user.

In another aspect of the disclosed embodiments, a treadmill with dual belts includes a platform with a front end and a rear end, and a first front pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the front end of the platform. A second front pulley may also be mounted inside the platform adjacent to the front end of the platform. A first continuous conveyor belt is looped around the first front pulley and a second continuous conveyor belt is looped around the second front pulley to provide the platform with a top surface movable between the front end and the rear end of the platform. At least a first rear pulley is mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end of the platform. A second rear pulley may also be mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end of the platform

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the claimed subject matter may be employed and the claimed subject matter is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features may become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of an apparatus with a continuously movable surface with at least two belts.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment with a second rear pulley and with a user's weight causing the second conveyor belt to recess and contact the first conveyor belt.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment with a second rear pulley but without a user's weight so that the second conveyor belt does not recess and does not contact the first conveyor belt.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment without a second rear pulley but with a user's weight causing the second conveyor belt to recess and contact the first conveyor belt.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment without the second rear pulley and without a user's weight so that the second conveyor belt does not recess and only contacts the first conveyor belt at the first rear pulley.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An apparatus with a continuously movable surface with at least two belts includes a platform with a front end and a rear end, and a first front pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the front end of the platform. At least a first rear pulley is mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end of the platform. A first conveyor belt is looped around the first front pulley and the first rear pulley. A second conveyor belt is looped around the second front pulley and the first rear pulley. The first conveyor belt is nested in the second conveyor belt. As such, when the first conveyor belt rotates between the first front pulley and the first rear pulley and when the second conveyor belt rotates between the second front pulley and first rear pulley, a continuously movable surface is formed so that when a user strikes the continuously movable surface, the second conveyor belt reduces the impact and absorbs shock felt by the user. These general features will be described in further detail below with reference to the figures.

In another aspect of the disclosed embodiments, an apparatus with a continuously movable surface with at least two belts includes a platform with a front end and a rear end, and a first front pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the front end of the platform. At least a first rear pulley is mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end of the platform. At least a second rear pulley may also be mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end of the platform. A first conveyor belt is looped around the first front pulley and the first rear pulley. A second conveyor belt is looped around the second front pulley and the second rear pulley. The first conveyor belt is nested in the second conveyor belt. As such, when the first conveyor belt rotates between the first front pulley and the first rear pulley and when the second conveyor belt rotates between the second front pulley and second rear pulley, a continuously movable surface is formed so that when a user strikes the continuously movable surface, the second conveyor belt reduces the impact and absorbs shock felt by the user. These general features will be described in further detail below with reference to the figures.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a treadmill with at least two belts. Treadmill 10 includes base 12 and upright portion 14. Base 12 includes platform 20 which has front end 22 and rear end 24. Platform 20 also includes upper surface 26 which incorporates a first movable conveyor belt 30. When treadmill 10 is in use, first conveyor belt 30 moves continuously in a loop so that the portion of conveyor belt 30 exposed at upper surface 26 of platform 20 moves from front end 22 to rear end 24. Upright portion 14 of treadmill 10 includes handlebars 40 supported by neck 42. User interface 44 may also be incorporated into upright portion 14 of treadmill 10.

In another embodiment, FIG. 1 shows a side view of a treadmill with dual belts. Treadmill 10 includes base 12 and upright portion 14. Base 12 includes platform 20 which has front end 22 and rear end 24. Platform 20 also includes upper surface 26 which incorporates a first movable conveyor belt 30. When treadmill 10 is in use, first conveyor belt 30 moves continuously in a loop so that the portion of conveyor belt 30 exposed at upper surface 26 of platform 20 moves from front end 22 to rear end 24. Upright portion 14 of treadmill 10 includes handlebars 40 supported by neck 42. User interface 44 may also be incorporated into upright portion 14 of treadmill 10.

FIG. 2 a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an apparatus with a continuously movable surface with at least two belts 10 with a second rear pulley 134. In FIG. 2, a user's weight strikes the second conveyor belt 130 causing it to recess and contact the first conveyor belt 30. When second conveyor belt 130 contacts first conveyor belt 30, the stress that would normally have resulted to a user's knees, for example, is dissipated between first 30 and second 130 conveyor belt. While FIG. 2 demonstrates two conveyor belts, this is merely demonstrative of a general concept. More than two conveyor belts could be incorporated as design needs require i.e. if reducing more impact felt by a user is required or desired. As demonstrated in FIG. 2, platform 20 includes second front pulley 132 and second rear pulley 134, with second conveyor belt 130 looped around second front pulley 132 and second rear pulley 134. Focusing on base 12 and in particular platform 20, platform 20 is used as a foundational structure for mounting first front pulley 32 and first rear pulley 34 around which first conveyor belt 30 is threaded.

In another embodiment, first front pulley 32 and first rear pulley 34 are sprockets equipped with locking teeth. First conveyor belt 30 is adapted to rotably engage with first front pulley 32 and first rear pulley 34. In another embodiment, first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 further incorporate interlocking means so that first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 mechanically connect when a user strikes second conveyor belt 130 and forms the top moving surface formed between first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 when the belts contact each other.

The embodiments described in FIG. 2 are no longer constrained to ineffective belt coating, for example, as in traditional treadmills or to design needs to avoid friction felt by a single conveyor belt. Instead, coating first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 with rubber or carpeting for traction could also be effective to absorb impact as the at least two belts together would absorb these loads—not just the user. In another embodiment, first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 are constructed from molded foam or molded elastomer wherein the molded belt is adapted so as to allow first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 to rotably engage when a user applies its weight at the point of contact.

This is accomplished by equipping first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 with an alignment a hole matrix on one conveyor belt. The other belt is equipped with a pin matrix so that the pins align with the holes in each respective conveyor belt. In another embodiment, first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 are each made from a rubber elastomer and arranged so as to provide, not discourage, friction at the point of contact on the top moving surface formed between first 30 and second conveyor belt 130. This ensures that impact caused by the user during the exercise routine is reduced to the fullest extent. In each embodiment of FIG. 2, by treading upon second conveyor belt 130, a user is provided with additional padding and therefore less impact upon the joints during exercise routines.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment with the second rear pulley 134 but without the weight of a user causing second conveyor belt 130 to recess and contact first conveyor belt 30. Platform 20 includes second front pulley 132 and second rear pulley 134, with second conveyor belt 130 looped around second front pulley 132 and second rear pulley 134. In all embodiments, first conveyor belt 30 is nested completely within second conveyor belt. Further, in FIG. 3 the continuously movable surface with at least two belts 10 is not affected by the weight of a user such that first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 rotate freely without friction and thus without contacting each other. In embodiments described in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, more than two conveyor belts could be used according to design needs and preference.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment I 0 without the second rear pulley 134 but with a user's weight causing the second conveyor belt 130 to recess and contact the first conveyor belt 30. As such, when a user strikes the second conveyor belt 130, the force of the user causes the second conveyor belt 130 to contact the first conveyor belt 30. When second conveyor belt 130 contacts first conveyor belt 30, the impact that would normally have been absorbed by a user's knees, for example, is now dissipated between first 30 and second conveyor belt 130. While FIG. 4 demonstrates two conveyor belts, this is merely demonstrative of a larger general concept. More than two conveyor belts could be incorporated as design needs require i.e. if reducing more impact felt by a user is required or desired. FIG. 4 shows a platform 20 that includes second front pulley 132, first rear pulley 34, with second conveyor belt 130 looped around second front pulley 132 and first rear pulley 34. Focusing on base 12 and in particular platform 20, platform 20 is used as a foundational structure for mounting first front pulley 32 and first rear pulley 34 around which first conveyor belt 30 can be threaded.

In another embodiment, first front pulley 32 and first rear pulley 34 employ an interlocking mechanism such as sprockets with locking teeth. First 30 conveyor belt 130 is adapted to rotably engage with first front pulley 32 and first rear pulley 34 by incorporating teeth receiving indentations or hole patterns in the belt. In another embodiment, first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 further incorporate interlocking means so that first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 mechanically connect when a user strikes second conveyor belt 130. This creates a top moving surface when first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 contact each other. In this embodiment, first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 are constructed from molded foam or molded elastomer wherein the molded belt is adapted so as to allow first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 to rotably engage at the point of contact on the top moving surface. The interlocking molded foam belts or elastomer belts provide a moving surface that reduces impact to a user's joints and as well as flexibility in conveyor belt material selection.

In FIG. 4., interlocking is accomplished by equipping first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 with an alignment hole matrix on one conveyor belt. The other belt is equipped with an alignment pin matrix so that the pins align with the holes in each respective conveyor belt when the user impacts the surface. First 30 and second conveyor belts 130 may also be made from a rubber elastomer and arranged so as to provide, not discourage, friction at the point of contact on the moving surface between first 30 and second conveyor belt 130. This ensures that impact caused by the user during the exercise routine is reduced to the fullest extent. In all embodiments of FIG. 4, by treading upon second conveyor belt 130, a user is provided with additional padding that reduces impact felt by a user's joints during exercise routines.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment without the second rear pulley 134 and without the weight of a user so that the second conveyor belt 130 does not recess and only contacts the first conveyor belt 30 at the first rear pulley 34. Just like in FIG. 4, platform 20 includes second front pulley 132 and first rear pulley 34, with second conveyor belt 130 looped around second front pulley 132 and first rear pulley 134. However, in this embodiment, the continuously movable surface with at least two belts 10 is not affected by the weight of a user such that first 30 and second conveyor belt 130 rotate only contacting each other aound first rear pulley 34. In the embodiments depicted in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, more than two belts could be used according to user needs and preference.

What has been described above includes examples of one or more embodiments. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the aforementioned embodiments, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of various embodiments are possible. Accordingly, the described embodiments are intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus with a continuously movable surface, comprising: a platform with a front end and a rear end; a first front pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the front end of the platform; a second front pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the front end of the platform; a first rear pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end; a first conveyor belt looped around the first front pulley and the first rear pulley; a second conveyor belt looped around the second front pulley and first rear pulley, wherein the first conveyor belt is nested in the second conveyor belt; wherein the first conveyor belt rotates between the first front pulley and the first rear pulley and the second conveyor belt rotates between the second front pulley and the first ear pulley to form the continuously movable surface; and wherein when a user strikes the continuously movable surface, the second conveyor belt reduces impact and absorbs shock felt by the user.
 2. An apparatus with a continuously movable surface, comprising: a platform with a front end and a rear end; a first front pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the front end; a second front pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the front end; a first rear pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end; a second rear pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end; a first conveyor belt looped around the first front pulley and the first rear pulley; a second conveyor belt looped around the second front pulley and second rear pulley, wherein the first conveyor belt is nested in the second conveyor belt; wherein the first conveyor belt rotates between the first front pulley and the first rear pulley and the second conveyor belt rotates between the second front pulley and the second rear pulley to form the continuously movable surface; and wherein when a user strikes the continuously movable surface, the second conveyor belt reduces impact and absorbs shock felt by the user.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first conveyor belt, first front pulley, and first rear pulley are each threaded, wherein conveyor belt is adapted to rotably engage with first front pulley and first rear pulley.
 4. The apparatus according claim 2, wherein the first conveyor belt, first front pulley, and first rear pulley are each threaded, wherein conveyor belt is adapted to rotably engage with first front pulley and first rear pulley.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface operatively connected to the continuously movable surface, wherein the user interface is adapted to allow a user to control the continuously movable surface.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an upright portion mechanically connected to the continuously movable surface, the upright portion comprising a neck mechanically connected to a plurality of handlebars, wherein the user interface is disposed on the upright portion.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a user interface operatively connected to the continuously movable surface, wherein the user interface is adapted to allow a user to control the continuously movable surface.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising an upright portion mechanically connected to the continuously movable surface, the upright portion comprising a neck mechanically connected to a plurality of handlebars, wherein the user interface is disposed on the upright portion.
 9. A treadmill, comprising: a platform with a front end and a rear end; a first front pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the front end of the platform; a second front pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the front end of the platform; a continuous conveyor belt looped around the first pulley and the second pulley to provide the platform with a top surface movable between the front end and the rear end of the platform; and a first rear pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end of the platform.
 10. The treadmill of claim 10, further comprising a second rear pulley mounted inside the platform adjacent to the rear end of the platform. 